By Prosper Mene
The Standard Chartered Foundation has announced the winners of its Women in Tech Accelerator in Nigeria, with five women-led businesses sharing $50,000 in grant funding.
The programme was delivered in partnership with Village Capital and local implementing partner Enterprise Development Centre (EDC), Pan-Atlantic University. This year’s cohort had 11 ventures, with the top five emerging after a final pitch session before a panel of judges.
Each winner will receive $10,000 to scale her business.
Speaking on the programme, Joke Adu, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand and Marketing at Standard Chartered Nigeria, said:
“At Standard Chartered, we believe that empowering women entrepreneurs is one of the most effective ways to drive inclusive economic growth. Since launching the Women in Technology Programme in Nigeria in 2019, we have impacted thousands of women, directly trained more than 70 women through our incubator cohorts and provided seed funding to 35 women-led businesses.”
Nneka Okekearu, Director of Enterprise Development Centre, Pan-Atlantic University, added that the accelerator shows what happens when women entrepreneurs get access to skills, mentorship, networks and opportunities.
The 2026 winners are:
1. Jennifer Esiaba – Mariam Grey Pharmacy
An AI-powered telepharmacy providing accessible medication, pharmacist consultations and chronic care support via smartphones, basic phones and USSD.
2. Christine Imoukhuede – Ahavaplan
An AI-powered CRM platform that helps event planners manage clients, events and business operations in one place.
3. Toyosi Badejo-Okusanya – Adaptive Atelier
An accessibility technology company helping businesses create inclusive digital experiences through AI-powered solutions and accessibility auditing.
4. Fara Popoola – Proc360
A platform helping African SMEs trade with confidence through supplier verification, quality control and secure payments.
5. Adejoke Haastrup – Kidsthatcode
An edtech platform equipping children and teens across Africa with coding and digital skills through classes, mentorship and hackathons.
The winners now join a global alumni community of women entrepreneurs that offers peer-to-peer support and access to catalytic funding at lower-than-commercial rates.
The Women in Tech Accelerator has been running in Nigeria since 2020 through funding from the Foundation and Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria. Globally, it operates in 14 Standard Chartered markets across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the US, and has supported over 4,000 entrepreneurs to date.
